


FaceTime

by dechagny



Category: Ghosts (TV 2019)
Genre: Awkward Romance, Comfort, Comfort No Hurt, Facetime, I literally don't know how to tag this, M/M, Not Serious, One Shot, Reunions, Short One Shot, Silly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dechagny/pseuds/dechagny
Summary: After a chance encounter on a holiday in Egypt, Alison discovers a ghost from The Captain's past and meets the man who can help her bring them together again through FaceTime.
Relationships: Alison & The Captain (Ghosts TV 2019), The Captain/Lieutenant Havers (Ghosts TV 2019)
Comments: 23
Kudos: 131





	FaceTime

Frankly, Alison had had enough, and they hadn’t even started yet.

Between Julian making cutting remarks with a cold smirk, punctuating every innuendo with the wiggle of his tie, Kitty spinning around The Captain telling him how romantic it all was, Thomas lamenting about lost loves, Lady Button grumbling at the undignified chaos, and Mary asking questions about the small magic box, the vein in Alison’s forehead was ready to burst.

“Why can’t you guys be more like Robin?” she asked, gesturing to him playing chess by himself on the sofa. “Or Pat?”

At the mention of his name, Pat raised his eyebrows and gave an embarrassed smile. He flicked his hand in an “oh, stop it” motion, but his expression asked her to carry on.

“Serendipity is bringing them together again,” Thomas said with a mournful sigh, sinking into the armchair. He rested his chin in his hand, so his fingers brushed against the hollow of his cheekbone. “Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see my darling Isabelle again.”

“You know, I saw an ex over the phone once,” Julian said with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “Well, I say _saw_ …what I really mean is we _heard_ each other the phone as we-“

“Yes, thank you, Julian,” interrupted Lady Button, turning her nose towards the ceiling. “I think we all get the picture.”

With everyone falling into the chaotic conversation again, The Captain clenched his jaw and tightened his grasp on his swagger stick, staring at his knees. The commotion made him wonder why he’d ever let anyone know, or why he bothered saying yes to this hare-brained scheme in the first place.

What if the others scared him away? Or they didn’t have anything to talk about? What if he had changed too much?

“Alison,” he said authoritatively, raising his chin as he stood from his chair, smoothing out his jacket. “Cancel the meeting. It’s a fool’s errand, and it’s one battle I’m happy to concede.”

In unison, almost all the other ghosts rolled their eyes and burst into a chorus of disappointed cries and indignant arguments. Pat and Alison looked at one another with tightly pressed mouths before looking to The Captain who was trying to get everyone to calm down.

Behind them all, Robin looked up from the chessboard to observe the situation – trying to gauge whether it was something he wanted to get himself involved in. After grumbling to himself, he decided the answer was no and tried to get back to his game – running around to the other side of the board to play the next move as his own opponent.

Looking around the room through a pondering squint and tapping her phone against her forehead, the vein in Alison’s temple finally burst.

“Okay, that’s it,” she exclaimed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Everybody out. Not you, Captain,” she added with a huff as he tried to follow Julian through the door. “Yes, you need to go too, Robin. I promise you can finish your game soon.” She ushered them out like a farmer herding sheep.

“Good luck, Cap!” Pat said as an aside, giving him a thumbs up on his way past. “We’re all rooting for you, whatever you do, mate.”

After Alison had watched them leave from the doorway, making sure they wouldn’t wait in the corridor and figuratively press their ears against the door, she slid back into the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

“Do you really want me to cancel?” she asked sceptically, waving the phone. “Because I will if you want me to.”

The Captain frowned, his top lip quivering childishly as he focused his stare at the screen. “Yes…no. I don’t know.”

Alison gave him a sympathetic smile, nodding slowly. “You’re nervous, and I get it,” she admitted. “I once bumped into an ex I was still mad about in the supermarket, and I was so overwhelmed by it, I ended up tripping over my trolley and falling headfirst into the-“ she stopped, becoming aware of The Captain’s anxiety rubbing off on her. She let out a nervous laugh. “You know what, it doesn’t matter.”

“You’re not filling me with confidence, Alison,” he said, glowering at her like a frustrated, good-natured father.

“Look, don’t be worried,” she urged, clicking the lock button on her phone to check the time. “Nothing bad can happen – the worst happened nearly eighty years ago when you think about it.”

The Captain made a strangled, uncertain noise at the back of his throat and tapped his swagger stick against his nose. “Exactly,” he said as if he’d caught Alison in a lie. “It was a long time ago, and things have changed.”

“I know,” she said quickly. “But I wish you could’ve seen his face when he found out I knew you and could talk to you,” she added softly. “He looked like he couldn’t believe his luck actually.”

“Yes,” The Captain said tightly, pursing his lip together and bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Well…it was unlikely for you and Michael to bump into the Lieutenant, so I think he had a point.”

Alison smiled, leaning against the back of the sofa with a careless shrug. “I mean, sure, but maybe Thomas was right, and there was some kind of serendipity about it. But if you really don’t want to talk to him, I’ll go ahead and cancel,” she said, making a dramatic show of choosing the contact from her phone. She pretended to dial, holding her phone to her ear with raised eyebrows.

“No, no,” The Captain said hurriedly, his shoulders becoming looser as she dropped her arm to her side again. “There’s no need for that,” he said, pulling on a smile. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt to talk to him…and you promise that everything said in this room will be completely confidential?”

“Absolutely,” she assured him. “It’s classified, and you’d have to kill me first.” She had an excitable air about her which only seemed to highlight the flyaways lifting themselves from the top of her hair – a look that made her seem as eager as the dead inhabitants of the house when she gave him an exaggerated wink.

It was kind of her to set this up, The Captain thought, and despite his growing nerves and the pit in his stomach that told him this was a terrible idea, he couldn’t help but think that Thomas, Kitty, Pat, and Alison herself might be right. This was a good thing, and how many others would ever get a chance like this?

He was about to reprimand her for mocking him when the phone let out a loud and blaring ring – the sudden start giving him a fright and making him reel backwards. Alison flashed him a comforting smile as he regained his composure, using the flat palm of his hand to check if his hair was still slick back neatly, which, of course, it was.

“Doctor Hassan!” she exclaimed, holding the phone in front of her, trying to angle it in such a way she could avoid showing him the double-chin she definitely didn’t have anyway. “It’s so nice to see you again. Thanks for doing this – I know it’s going to mean a lot to The Captain.”

The man on the other end of the line was smiling broadly in what looked like the break room of a hospital – all-white walls and sparkling surfaces devoid of character or energy. He had three-day stubble around his oblong jaw, and the excited sparkle in his dark eyes belied his advancing years. Even in his crumpled scrubs, he had the aura of Old Hollywood glamour about him, thanks to the smooth and sleek way his dark hair was slicked back against his head, a beautiful and convenient coif crowning him to keep his long hair from his eyes. This detail had made both Alison and The Captain raise an appreciative eyebrow.

“I know it’s going to mean a lot to the Lieutenant too,” he said with a nod. “And please, call me Karim.”

“Are you doing this at work?” Alison asked, noticing another doctor in the corner having her lunch. “Won’t you look weird?”

Karim looked over his shoulder with a laugh then turned back with an easy smile. “Everyone around here is used to me doing things like this,” he admitted. “They always think I’m talking to myself, but some have started playing along, as it were. The ghosts don’t mind that – they think it’s funny.”

“My Mike’s just the same,” Alison began, falling quiet as The Captain cleared her throat beside her. “Sorry, Karim, Cap’s getting impatient. Do you mind if we do this now?”

“Not at all. Are you ready, Lieutenant?”

As she turned the phone camera to face The Captain, Alison whispered a few words of encouragement. The Captain took a deep breath, staring at his reflection in the camera and rolling back his shoulders, his spine becoming a steel rod in his back as his past seemed to slap him in the face from over two-thousand miles away as Karim mirrored Alison’s action.

Lieutenant Havers wasn’t looking at the camera when he came into view – he was talking to someone unseen with his gaze lowered, speaking in a kind and patient tone that was usually reserved for children. The angle exposed the dark splodge on the matted part of his hair. When he looked up, he was smiling – a shining and beautiful sight that wasn’t marred by the dried blood trickles that eclipsed his hairline and travelling down to kiss his right eyebrow. He looked like a broken china doll, hastily repaired by a tired mother with what she had to hand – her deep rubicund nail polish.

“Hello, Lieutenant,” The Captain said hoarsely, his upper lip disappearing completely under his moustache as he smiled back. He didn’t think the smile would come so easily, but it bloomed on him as naturally as the petals opening on a rose bush.

“Hello, Captain,” Havers answered, dimples decorating his face. “You’ve changed,” he noted out loud, stepping closing to the camera and tilting his head, squinting a little. He chuckled when The Captain cleared his throat and knitted his brows together.

“Yes, I suppose I rather have,” he admitted, gesturing for Alison to lift the phone a bit higher. “I got old…well, older, anyway.” The Captain’s demeanour had softened, but he still held an aura of anxiety in his belly that kept him bouncing lightly on his feet. “You’ve not changed a bit.”

Havers pressed his mouth into a fond grin, his hand instinctively flying to his head. “It would’ve been a miracle if I had, all things considered, Sir.”

Shrugging begrudgingly, The Captain nodded. If he still had a blood supply, he might have flushed. “I know…but, what I mean is…” he let out an exhale and lifted his chin with a clenched jaw. He had adopted a set expression that made him look as if he were heading into battle. “It’s good to see you, and if you’ll allow me to be completely honest, I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you too,” Havers said, his eyes quickly glancing behind the camera as Karim whispered his own words of encouragement. “How are things at Button House? Alison gave me a brief overview when we met – she seems nice.”

The Captain raised his eyebrows and tightened his grip on his swagger stick again as Alison transferred the phone to her other hand. She turned her head towards the window, pretending to be raptured by something outside.

“She is,” he answered, his smile growing. “She’s a real asset to the house. It hasn’t changed much over the years – people come and go as they always do, and the décor is still the same. Though, when Alison and Michael finish the repairs and make their mark, I’ll see if I can get her, and Doctor Hassan, of course, to help me show you around.”

“I’d like that.”

There was a moment of silence with the two men looking at one another – years bubbling beneath their surfaces. How astonishing that they could see each other for the first time in so long and how much technology had changed in the first place to allow them this moment. But when the wonder faded, what was left in its place was sombre.

It was the stark reality of their deaths that caught them and the regret they were so far apart. Eighty years of thoughts rattled around them, echoing off them, but all they could do was smile at the camera, hoping it conveyed enough for the moment.

“I read your letter,” The Captain blurted out, watching Havers cock his brow. “I should have read it before you left for North Africa…but…”

“It’s okay.” Havers’ face disappeared from view for a moment; Karim switching hands now as well. “I always wondered if you did.”

The Captain nodded. “I did,” he reiterated pointlessly. “And I want you to know that…” he took a deep breath and gestured in a roundabout way with his hand. “The feeling was…is…mutual.” He cleared his throat of the lingering, bittersweet taste the words left in his mouth.

“That’s…” Havers searched his brain for the right words, but he just shrugged with all the tension leaving his body. “Great, Sir,” he said, smiling broadly, so his laughter lines became all the more etched into his features. Though, knowing The Captain’s struggle to talk openly and that he’d be worried to do so in front of Karim, he changed the subject. “Alison told me a little bit about everyone whilst she was here…may I meet them?”

“Are you sure?” The Captain asked, snapping to attention. “They can be a little… _intense_.”

“Of course,” he said brightly. “I’d love to see them.”

With a nervous smile, The Captain nodded and practically ran from the room to find the others. It didn’t take him long to find them – they were sitting in the next room, all of them quieter than usual. When he invited them in, the noise started up again, and they barrelled forward, nearly knocking him for six.

Alison, caught off-guard as she spoke to Havers herself, let out a squeak as the ghosts surrounded her, everyone talking all at once. In the garbled confusion, Kitty walked through Alison to get a better look at Havers, making herself feel sick and startling Alison in the process. The phone slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground, sliding towards Julian, and stopping upright between his legs.

There was a wave of aghast groans followed by The Captain’s call of “good Lord” and his protestation, a delighted snickering from Julian himself, and Havers himself saying, “good grief,” as he tried not to laugh.

“Sorry!” Alison cried, lurching forward to grab the phone. “Sorry,” she said again, turning the phone back towards The Captain.

“I know I said I wanted to see your friends,” Havers said conspiratorially, “but I wasn’t expecting to see so much so soon.”

The Captain pressed his lips together to stop himself from laughing, though whether it was more out of genuine mirth or embarrassment, he wasn’t sure. “I told you they were intense.”

“Oh, it’s the handsome one!” Kitty said, standing on her tiptoes behind The Captain, holding her skirt between her fingers. “Hello! My name’s Kitty. I remember when you were alive – you used to sleep in my bedroom.”

One by one, they introduced themselves as The Captain watched on, swinging wildly between feeling a cosy warmth and cringing anxiety. Havers was patient and courteous with everyone, even managing to find a way to charm Lady Button into a giggle.

Unfortunately for the other ghosts, the group call was swiftly ended as Karim announced he needed to go back to work in five minutes and Alison ordered them out again.

“They are intense,” Havers agreed, beaming roguishly. “But they’re also, mostly, kind, and well-meaning people, so I’m glad you have them. Plus, I bet they keep you on your toes. It’s good to know that death hasn’t made you bored. You never suited a boring existence.”

“It’s impossible to be bored here,” he promised him, “although, I wish you were here too. There’s so much to tell you.”

“Save it for next time,” Havers urged. “I can’t wait to get to know you again, Sir.”

“William,” The Captain said. “You can call me William. I think we’ve known each other long enough, don’t you?”

Havers scratched his forehead, his nails dragging over the blood that didn’t move or transfer under his nails. “Of course. I’m so glad Alison and Karim met, William. I actually feel like I have something to look forward to in death now.”

“Me too,” he admitted.

“See you next week,” Havers said, looking more content than Karim had ever seen him. “Don’t miss me too much, will you?”

The Captain rolled his eyes fondly, a breadth away from becoming more sincere than he anticipated on being. “No,” he said. “I think I’ve had my fill of missing you, actually. Now feels like a good chance to build on the hope of seeing you instead. I’ll see you soon.” He gave a quick wave, feeling more like a smitten teenager than thought, utterly unaware that Havers felt the same too.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I don't know what this is either. It was inspired by comments on a post I made in the PigeonPosting Facebook group, especially one that Catie made and one Fran made requesting a fic. So, if you're reading this, Catie & Fran, thank you! :D
> 
> Also, if anyone was interested you can also follow me on Tumblr: @annaobyrne
> 
> Ok, bye, and thanks for reading! <3


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